tennis, life and a few things in between

A photo app claimed it would cancel the accounts of users who hadn’t ordered anything from it since last summer. But for over a year, they have kept sending me the old memories.

Today, there are a few tennis pictures from November 2008. Apparently, I still wear the outfits nowadays because they’re cotton. Ann Taylor doesn’t sell many cotton garments nowadays, unfortunately.

The blue one was a RL hand me down from my kid. The two holes on the top t shirt are from trying to remove the label: eventually, I got a seam ripper! No more holes.

Memories: 17 years ago, from a photo app

至少十七年的衣服
贫困的限制

说真现在Ann Taylor 的棉/麻衣服很少了

兰的是RL娃不要的
红条的洞是标签没拆好 – 无奈买了个挑线刀

搞不懂 这个照片应用程序去年夏天就说是最后了… 结果一年多来还是不停的推送
勾起了很多回忆

4-6, 6-6 & quit. It was a little windy. Joel and I were lagging behind again.

More serving motions w/ 3 fingers.

… and the actual

A practice day. Coach C has metioned or stressed to hold the racket loosely, like with only 3 fingers to serve or hitting the forehand. It finally lighting up … However, the gap between perception and reality is wide: without ball, I’m doing ok but with ball, tray comes back.

I also been practicing single handed backhand

… and a few forehands

A great set of 7-6 (11-9) in 73 minutes: Joel and I were behind Matt & Carol 0-2 in the set and 2-5 in the 7-point tiebreak.

Matt served at 5-6 and 30-40 (for once, we were leading), and I ruined a net point. The game went to duece.

It was a great game and I served well, well, with wiater’s tray. So I’m NOT happy!

At sneaker cleaning, I smelt the sweet scent of osmanthus 桂花 (Osmanthus fragrans). Not sure where that is coming from, or my nose wasn’t working.

… 赢的艰难困苦
本该高兴
小喜悦之余是
球发的非常好=还是 托盘子发球
没墙撞了

OK 冲鞋时 大脑说闻到桂花香 (无数次冲洗 今天是第一次闻到)眼睛没有看到
照片上也没找出所以然
大概嗅觉也 瓦塔拉

是不是因为要买红豆 了 算计着做红豆沙

6-2, 1-6, 2-2, Randy, Sandy & Matty

A guy from the past, it was so long ago that I don’t even remember playing together. But he’s positive, and after 6-2, 1-6, he said, “I remembered you get all your serves in.”

It’s sad. I’m trying to improve my once dependable serve, and the process is 18 months long, saturated with double faults. And the end is not even near.

… and lost my serve

A good come back with aa first time partner: Joel and I (v Sandi & Matt) started out slow, with a bad line call from the oppenont, but it was corrected. From there, it’s downhill for us, inlcuding this game, which I didn’t even touch the ball once.

1. 1-6, from 0-5
2. 6-4, from 0-4
3. 10-2 in super tiebreaker

I’d say it’s a pretty good come back (the best was 2013 usta league playoff 0-6, 0-3). Our oppenont Sandra was aiming for a bagel, and said so out loud.

1. 6-4, 3-6, tossing high
2. 4-6, 3-6: w/ Tony, pix day
3. 3-6, 4-6; good toss
4. 4-6, 6-6; 3 fingers
5. 7-6 ^{11-9 √} 1 set in 73 min
6. 1-6, 6-4, 10-2 ^√

… two serves

This lesson concetrates on my forehand and backhand.

The full western grip … under

The western grip is an extreme forehand grip where the hand is positioned under the handle, with the palm’s heel and index finger’s first knuckle placed on the fifth bevel for a full-western grip.

• singlehanded backhand
• preparation to backhand
• four forehands: any of it correct?
• forehand demo
• backhands are getting lazy
• my bad forms v Adrian
• with Adrian

… four forehands: which one is correct?

…preparation to backhand

6-1, 6-0, Matt, Hope & Betty

It has been 17 months since I set out to get rid of my tray serve, with youtube learn-how (birthday hat … and all), mimicking the motion, and lessons. Here is what I think I’m doing

1. holding the handle like holding a hammer
2. index finger is slitghtly separated
3. pronate

… but in reality, I’m only doing #2. Any good remedy to correct? I’m sick of myself too.

“I’m not ready,” Graham said on my second serve, at 40-30, 5-2. I served another underhandedly, and he returned but was killed by my partner. Game and set.

We won the second set easily, 6-1.

I value fairness, so I told them. And I just don’t quick serve.

In the pool, I thought about it: underhand serve, perhaps, is easily read as quick serve because it doesn’t have the tossing, pulling back, and smacking down motions. (???)

A 5-minute warm up: I’ve been trying to imporve my forehand, without lefting my left leg.